Five friends tied together by a role playing game travel to a cabin in the woods to play one last game. But suddenly, it’s not just a game anymore. Someone has died, and anyone could be next.
Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp is out today, so if you like the sound of it please don’t forget to add it on Goodreads or buy a copy from your local indie, QueerLit, Hive, Waterstones or Amazon!
What I Liked:
-This was so exciting! The plot really kept you on your toes as the stakes got higher and higher, it was properly creepy at times, and there is so much attention to detail that made it even more tense because it was so well crafted. As more and more got revealed, we start to understand the dynamic and past of the group and question what we thought we knew, and I ended up binging the second half of this book far too late at night cause I was so caught up.
-The characters! I won’t tell you which characters I like best in case that spoils it but they were all complex, interesting and with their own personal troubles and turmoils. I really liked seeing their dynamics, of friendship and perhaps romance, and how and who stuck together in the end.
-The representation! Of the five characters we have Finn, who is trans and has arthritis,, Ever, who is non-binary, Maddy, who is bisexual, autistic and suffers from chronic pain, and Carter who is also bisexual. The representation was wonderful and I really appreciate how much of themself the author put into these characters, as they too are nonbinary, autistic, queer and suffer from a chronic illness. I’m going to link my friend Izzie’s review here as she is disabled and talks about the rep:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3507913433
-Atmosphere! The setting and atmosphere for Even If We Break made it so much more tense, exciting and unique. It’s set at a remote cabin in the woods where the five friends go to play their role playing game. The author builds an incredible sense of tension tied to the setting and a further atmosphere surrounding the role playing game – it was so spooky!
-The writing, it was well written and easy to binge but with some really impressive imagery and, as I said previously, building of atmosphere.
What I Didn’t Like As Much:
-The ending. Who the killer was was pretty predictable, though it isn’t that that I minded. The ending felt almost repetitive, dragging out a bit. I liked the overall idea but it wasn’t as well executed as the rest of the book.
-The killers motive. I felt that the motive the killer had was relatively flimsy, it was believable that they were cruel and wanted one person dead but killing the others was a bit of a reach.
Oveall, Even if We Break by Marieke Nijkamp is a heartstopping thriller about friendship and secrets, tied to a role playing game. It was exciting, capturing and wonderful, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. With a diverse cast and #ownvoices representation, an intriguing plot and unique storyline, this is a book you don’t want to miss!
Sasha and Amber Read 